My Family's Recipe for This Beloved Indian Side Goes with Everything
Most commonly known as roti, a chapati is a soft, flat, unleavened bread made with whole-wheat flour that’s served warm. Although it’s a dish that dominates most North Indian households, chapatis are eaten throughout the subcontinent of India. The best part? This recipe comes directly from my Indian kitchen.
You’ll love this chapati recipe for its simple-yet-adaptable preparation. This foolproof recipe is one that has been passed down for generations in my family. It is also one of the fundamental things I learned to cook when I was growing up in an Indian household. (It helps that it was a natural form of “play dough,” which kept us kids entertained while our mum made breakfast or dinner.) Chapatis are great for scooping up curries and lentil dal, dipping in yogurt and achaar, or simply enjoying on their own with a little bit of ghee or coconut oil spread on them.
Why You’ll Love It
Only four simple ingredients. Chapati comes together quickly with atta, water, oil, and salt. Plus if you can’t get your hands on atta, I offer a smart swap that’s a mix of whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour.
It’s the perfect complement to any dish. Chapati can be eaten with an array of accompaniments such as curries, dals, vegetable dishes, or achaar and yogurt.
The Key Ingredient in Chapati
The most important one to talk about is the base ingredient, atta. Just like saying “chai tea” or “naan bread” to any Indian will drive them up a wall, saying “atta flour” will have the same effect. Atta is a type of Indian finely milled whole-wheat flour. So technically atta means flour. Usually ground in stone mills called chakki, the entire wheat kernel is used to make this brown and nutty flour.
So why can’t one just use Western whole-wheat flour to make this? Unfortunately, due to the difference in milling process, you cannot substitute atta and Western whole-wheat flour in a 1:1 ratio. Due to the lower protein content, Western whole-wheat flour needs to be combined with all-purpose flour while making chapatis in order to achieve the desired texture and consistency.
How to Make Chapati
Making chapati never felt so effortless — especially with this recipe. It comes together in three simple steps. To make it even simpler, you could use a tortilla press instead of rolling out the dough.
Make and rest the dough. Add atta to a medium bowl and create a well. Add salt and oil to the well, gradually pouring in the water while mixing to create a shaggy dough. Knead it until it forms a uniform, smooth dough. Rest the dough for 30 minutes. This helps the gluten relax and makes it easier to roll out.
Shape the dough. On the counter, shape the dough into a 12-inch log. Cut it into 8 equal pieces, rolling each into a ball and keeping them under a damp towel to prevent drying out. With a floured rolling pin, roll each ball into an 8-inch circle, dusting with flour as needed. As you roll the chapatis, you can stack them or cook them simultaneously while you roll the others.
Cook the chapatis. The best trick I learned from my mum and grandma is to first cook the chapatis without any oil on each side and then spread oil on either side while cooking to achieve the best texture. I was always warned not to make a papad (a thin, crispy Indian wafer) out of a chapati by either flipping it too much or adding the oil too soon. So, place the chapati on a preheated griddle and once a few bubbles form on top, flip it. Spread some oil on the par-cooked side and once a few more bubbles form on top, flip it again, adding some more oil on the other side. Flip once more on each side until a few dark-brown, toasted spots form. Keep the cooked chapatis warm by wrapping them in a clean kitchen towel.
Helpful Swaps
Atta is a very specific ingredient that is mostly only found in Indian grocery stores. If you don’t have one nearby or access to an Indian grocer, a great way to still make your chapati is to swap the atta for a mixture of whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour. For every cup of whole-wheat flour, add a half-cup of all-purpose flour. This helps to achieve the closest texture and taste to a chapati made with atta.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Make ahead: The chapati dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight bag. It can be rolled out cold. Rolled out, uncooked chapatis can be stacked with parchment paper between each one and frozen in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the cooking time.
Storage: Cooked chapatis can be refrigerated in an airtight bag for up to 5 days. Rewarm in the microwave or in a skillet over low heat before serving.
What to Serve with Chapati
Chapati Recipe
My family’s foolproof recipe calls for just four simple ingredients.
Prep time 15 minutes to 25 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes to 35 minutes
Makes makes 8
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 cups atta or chakki atta (Indian whole-wheat flour), plus more for dusting
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Make the dough:
Place 3 cups atta in a medium bowl and make a small well in the middle. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt into the well.
While using your fingers to gather the flour and mix it into the water, slowly pour 1 cup lukewarm water into the well. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead in the bowl into a uniform, moist dough that doesn’t stick to your fingers, 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer the dough into an airtight bag and seal the bag. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. (This is a good time to prepare dishes to serve with the chapati like saag paneer or lentil dal with hearty greens.)
Shape and cook the chapatis:
Roll the dough with your palms on a work surface into a 12-inch log of even thickness. Cut crosswise into 8 (1 1/2-inch) pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball and place under a damp towel to keep them from drying out.
Dust a work surface with atta. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out 1 piece of dough until roughly 8 inches wide, dusting with more flour as needed. Repeat rolling out the remaining pieces, stacking them well-dusted with flour so that they don’t stick.
Heat a griddle or 10-inch carbon steel skillet or frying pan on medium-low heat. Place 1 chapati in the pan. Cook until a few bubbles form on top, about 30 seconds. Flip it over. Brush a little oil on the chapati (about 1/4 teaspoon). After a few more bubbles form on the oiled side, flip it again. Brush a little oil on the second side. Cook until dark-brown, toasted spots form, about 30 seconds more on each side. Reduce the heat as needed if the pan gets too hot.
Stack and wrap the cooked chapatis in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
Recipe Notes
Substitutions: If you are unable to find atta, you can substitute it with 2 cups whole-wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour.
Make ahead: The chapati dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight bag. It can be rolled out cold.
Rolled out, uncooked chapatis can be stacked with parchment paper between each one and frozen in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the cooking time.
Storage: Cooked chapatis can be refrigerated in an airtight bag for up to 5 days. Rewarm in the microwave or in a skillet over low heat before serving.
Further Reading
The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can’t Stop Talking About
Reese’s Just Launched a Limited-Edition Peanut Butter Cup, and It Tastes 4x Better than the Original
